Storage-battery separator



3F EAG-Q, ELLNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO U. S. LIGHT & HEAT COR- f.- entlnll'tfh FALLS, NEW' YORK, A CORPORATON OF NEW YORK.

STQRAG'l-IEATTERY SEPARATOR.

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,a o alfZ fw 71a t it" mrt-gf concern.

it lne) that l, Georear Sanitaer, a United States, residing at l f ty et Coeli and State of e inver.; d new' and useful limin, Storage-attery Separatore, the following is a specification. resent invention relates to storage hatt-ry separators. l

Stores-e battery separators have been man-v u'iactu. d of a great variety of materials. @ne material which is commonly used 'for this purpose is wood., but most Varieties of wood contai plate-destroying constituents which should he removed or at least, greatly in amount he'ere the wood may be Storace separators. Vae been devised :tor removable constituents, most of `he 'Wood in a weakened conf 1min, wt-ere y in service the separators break down and cause a great deal f r 7 1 f. of treuil-1e and expense. i

ob'ecter the present invention is to rrtwide an improved method or" treating wood to prepare same for storage hati separators. fr' l n obji is to prei/1de a commeror pr paring wood or sterage emw separators which will result in the praet l ,...imination or substances which ingurions in service or the changing' of substances to innocuous substances and will leave the structure or" the wood sa which is to provide method of pr i d separators which will be in use.

Further objects will he apparent as the description proceeds.

s. description of the present invention be pre'aced by the statement that a rent will have an effect of elimini of the plate-destroying con- .,znts from wood. This steam treatment may be at a moderate temperaturefor a relatively long period oit time, or at a higher temperature ttor a shorter period of time. However, it either of these steam treatments is conducted in the presence or ay substantial amount of either' alkali or acid, 'the action on the wood is highly detrimental. ln view 'the fact that the action of steam at high temperatures in raw wood tpecication of Letters Patent.

irpcatten filed June 7, .1.919.

Patentes Mar. r, 1921.

serial No. 302,595.

will result in the' generation of acid, the wood must be given a preliminary treatment. i

According to the present invention, sheets of wood cut into approximately the size re quired for separators, are moistened with water by capillarity. After the water has permeated the cells ofthe wood, the separators are placed in an autoclave and heated with live steam at a' moderate temperature. This steam treatment may be conducted with a slight continuous escape of steam or steam may be let ofi' at intervals. This steam treatment at the moderate temperature which is to be chosen at a value such 70 that ina short period of time it will not have a detrimental action on the Wood, will open the pores of the wood and 'Will also change acid-forming constituents into free acid to a certain extent.

After the separators have been given the preliminary lsteam treatment above referred to, they are treated with a volatile agent capable of reacting chemically upon constituents of the Wood which would prove injurious in service. For this purpose I prefer to use a volatile nitrogenous agent, such as ammonia. In orderL that the volatile agent may permeate the pores of the Wood', it is preferable first to reduce the pressure lwithin the autoclave to a high state of vacuum. The volatile agent ammonia, in a gaseous state, is then allowed to surround the, separators, preferably under pressure, whereby said ammoniay will permeate to the innermost cells of the separators, electually neutralizing any acidity of the wood. After treating with ammonia for a period sueient to ell'ectually permeate the Wood, the operator will turn on the steam at approximately the same temperature as was used in the preliminary steam treatment, a slight escape of steam being permitted whereby toA allow the escape of the ammonia, thereby leaving the wood in 'a neutral condition or only slightly alkaline, alkalinity being preferable to acidity during the next step 'of the process. t

After the wood has been rendered neutral, or only slightly alkaline, it is in the proper condition to receive a steam treatment at a higher temperature, without detriment. Such a treatment at a higher temperature is now given', which temperature may be' chosen at a Value which would injure the Structure oi the Wood it' it had not been given the treatment described above. During the treatment following the ammonia treatment, or during the treatment at the hi gher temperature, or during both these periods, there will occur a volatilization of the acid-imanin constituents in the form of ammonia or ot er compounds. llFor this purpose, the steam treatments may he conducted with a slight escape of steam. The treatment at the higher temperature may he continued until the bulk of the ammonium compounds are volatilized. The proper length et time/ and temperature. for this treatment may he readily determined Jfor each of the dit ferent varieties of wood.

After the treatment at the higher te1nper ature, it is advisable to give a finishing.y treatment at a lower temperature, which may he Chosen substantially equal to that in the preliminary steam, treatment above rei-erred to. This finishing treatment will' volatilize the small quantity oft auunonium compounds still remaining; iu the pores oi' the wood but will not result in starting; any new cycles oi transformation of I arts of the wood not hitherto acted upon. he plate corroding elements which will remain in the wood will he so small in' amount as to have no appreciable eti'ect in service.

As a precautionary step, 'the finishing treatment may hey supplemented hy short vacuum treatment to eliminate volatile suhstances that may lie inthe pores oi' the wood iei'erring to specic figures which l have found to he practicable, hut which are given for illustration only, the initial moisteuing has heen accomplished hy allowing 500 separators oi? bass or poplar o a standard site, hy inches; to ahsorh twelve pints of water hy capiilarity. Vlhis prof-ess has heen allowed to continue for seventy-tour hours. Theseparators are then placed in an autoclave and heated with live steam to a temperature of 255 lor a period oit from tour to seven. hours, D 'n constituting the preliminary ste-am trea aient referred to shove. nEhe steam then blown oli and hy means oit a vacuum puni@ the pressure reduced to 26 inches of vacuum. Preier ahly 28 ounces of anhydrous ammonia are introduced into autoelave uit appr-ouh ma .0. ie 'feet eapac'ty under 'pressaire.y sato ammoui being); allowed to perthe pores ol he 'wood for (rapt mately ten hours. he i* tinued. tor three hours, utter which the steam theut on again ane/the treatment at 21'35" E,

steam is hlown oit' thereh pu. he

"wood hy elimination oi volatile constitue.

and leaving1r the same practically neutral, or only slightly alkaline. The steam 1s then turned. on again and the treatment eentinued at temoerature of ist@ tor three hours, the steam being blown olif entirely at the end ot the first one and one halt hours and again at the end of three hours. iinishingg' treatment is then given with steam at 2550 F. ier a period of two hours, after 'which the steam is again blown oli. A vacuum pump then operates to produce a high vacuum for approximately teu minutes, thus eliminating volatile substances Athat may lie in the pores of the wood. lt will he understood that each of the steam treatments above referred to will preferably be conducted with a slight escape oi steam.

The resulting separators are tough.r stand up well in service and their use does not aitect the plates adversely.

lt is te he understood that no hard and tast rules for treating' all of the varieties oi wood can be set down in this sperilieationu The treatment will vary greatly with diiilerent varieties, particularly in the temperatures involved and the length of time required Jfor the various steps. The description which has been given is intended to set forth the steps whereby the wood may he put in such condition that its use will not ail'ect the plates adversely.

Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. lt is intended that this patent shall cover all such modicetions that fall within the scope of the invention as defined hy the appended claims.

lilhat l claim as new and desire to secure hy Letters Patent of the United States, is"

'lhe method of manufacturing separa- 1. torswhich consists in vtreating Wood with ammonia, for the purpose of ronditioiiing said wood, volatiliscing the free ammonia-,and its ooi pounds and treatingr with steam et a temjgrx ture which would injure the structure or the raw Wood.

The method of manufacturing Separators 'which consists in treating raw wood with steam at a. temperature and for a period off time insuilicient 'to injure the cellular stru re of the wood, treating with ammonia to condition the wood to safely receive steam treatment which would injure raw wood.j treating with steam to volatilize free ammonia and its compounds, treating with stezun at a temperature and for a period of time suilicient to injure raw wood and volatilizing residual. ammonium compounds with steam at a lower temperature.

t3. The method oi' manufacturing separators-which consists in moistening wood with water, treating said wood with steam at a 'temperature and for a period of time insuiiieient to injure the cellular structure of the wood, treating with ammonia to condition the wood to safely receive steam treatment which would iniure raw wood, treating with steam to volatilize free ammonia and its compounds, treating -with steam at a temperature and 'for a period of time suilieient The ammonium compounds with steam and v.vacuum-at a lower temperature.

4. The method of manufacturing separators which consists in treating raw wood with'fsteam at a temperature insuiicient to injure the cellular structure of said wood, ytreating -with ammonia, volatilizing the free ammonia and its compounds and treating with steam at a temperature and for a period of time which would injure raw Wood.

5. The method of preparing separators which consists in treating wood with a volatile agent capable of rendering the wood innocuous to battery plates. I

6. The method of preparing separators which consists in treating wood with a volatile nitrogenous agent capable of rendering the wood innocuous to battery plates.

7. The method of preparing separators which consists in treating Wood with a volatile ammoniacal agent capable of rendering the wood innocuous to battery plates.

8. The method of preparin separators which consists in treating woo toA open the pores of same, impregnating with ammonia steam treatment at a mo in gaseous form, volatilizing the free` ammonia and its compounds and treatingwith s team at a temperature and for a length of tlme which would injure the cellular structure of the wood in untreated condition.

9. The method of preparin separators which consists in treating woo to open the pores of same, impregnating with ammonia, volatilizing the free ammonia and its compounds and treating with steam.

10. The method of manufacturing separators which consists in moistening Wood, treating with steam at 'a moderate tempera ture, ftreatin with ammonia in gaseous form, 'purifying with steam at moderate temperature to volatilize the free ammonia, treating with steam at a temperature and for a period of time which would injure the structure of raw wood, 'ving a finishing (grate temperature and subjecting the wood to a vacuum treatment to insure the elimination of all volatile substances.;

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.-

, GODFREY STEERUP. 

